The head of the state physicians' licensing board said Wednesday he believes doctors need to stop prescribing opioids, synthetic narcotics, for chronic noncancer pain. "I'm telling my colleagues it's bad medicine," said Dr. Randy Easterling of Vicksburg, past president of the Mississippi State Medical Association and now president of the state Board of Medical Licensure. "There is very little evidence that opioids are good for chronic noncancer pain." His remarks came 10 days after The Clarion-Ledger highlighted the problems of opioid addiction that have helped lead to the quadrupling of accidental drug overdose deaths in Mississippi over the past decade.